Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou gave an interview with Australian sports channel Stan Sport, and showed why he has been such a brilliant fit with the club. He fits well not just from in footballing terms, which he has proven through their promising season thus far, but also his understanding of the club and its culture.
Postecoglou began by giving his respect to one of the show’s hosts, ex-Australian and Crystal Palace footballer Craig Foster, for his human rights work with refugees.
The shows hosts then touched on the social justice work of Celtic’s fans and the history of social justice work in the club. Postecoglou’s response showed his deep understanding of Celtic’s history, and its Irish element as well.
"I found a real sort of affinity with the club, and obviously we all know the club really well. I think we maybe surprise people over here at the beginning.
"We seem like we’re a million miles away and almost as I said a couple of times on another planet. You know we’ve always been aware about the great clubs around the world and Celtic’s one of them.
"And their whole background and why the actual club was formed, to feed poor Irish immigrants, there was a purpose behind this club that stayed with it right to this day.
"For me that resonates obviously strongly being an immigrant in our own country. And South Melbourne, Hellas, Melbourne Croatia, Sydney Croatia, all these clubs were set up the same way. They weren’t set up solely to be football clubs, they were set up to help people adjust to life in their new land."
Social justice. Ange Postecoglou 🤝 @Craig_Foster #StanSportAU pic.twitter.com/d3gLQZDYqs
— Stan Sport Football (@StanSportFC) February 14, 2022
Ange Postecoglou was an immigrant himself having travelled by boat to Australia from Greece with his family when he was a young boy. It comes as no surprise that he would empathise and feel a connection towards Celtic's immigrant history, and the human rights work the clubs does to support the welfare of immigrants.
It's a good sign for Celtic that they have landed a manager like Ange Postecoglou who has clearly embraced the club and its ethos, and has taken the time to understand its culture and history.
Postecoglou was far from the biggest name in the managerial sphere, and his appointment was met with skepticism from fans. However, with the results he has achieved so far and interviews like the one above, he is certainly going some ways to winning them over.
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